well looks like i have a lot of symptoms similar to others problems. i have a 92 f150 302 and at the moment it won't start. i actually have 2 problems but i'm not sure if there both tied together. so at first the battery would be dead after sitting over night, and i'd have to boost it to get it started. tried another battery and same thing. used a volt meter on battery when it was running a had between 13 and 14.5 volts. now when i turn it over with a fully charged battery i all i get is a click. no power turning the starter at all. also when the truck was running at times i'd notice the battery gauge drop back and forth a bit. it would really drop when the lights and fan where on, but would still show 13 to 14 on the volt meter. i know this sounds like alot of other peoples probs but if anyone has any info at all for me, it would be appreciated.
thanks
and could a muti-meter be used instead of a test light. and if so what setting?

 

First thing I would do is take the battery cables off (both ends) and clean and inspect them. Not just say they look fine. It sounds like a bad ground. A lot of times the insulation will split at the ends and corrosion will eat away underneath.

 

When your done with the cleaning hook volt meter to battery is there12.5v . Then try to crank engine does volts drop or stay?

 

i cleaned up battery cables and posts today. the battery i used was fully charged, the engine won't crank it will just click at the starter relay.

 

Turn the headlights on, and then try to start it. When it "clicks", if the headlights stay fairly bright, you probably have a starter problem. When it "clicks", if the headlights go completely out, then you still have a connection problem, or a bad battery.

Do what someone else suggested, and hold the meter on the battery posts themselves, and get someone to try to start it. If the voltage goes down below 8 volts, then the battery is bad. If it stays up, the battery is good. Keep your neg meter lead on the neg battery post, but move the + lead over to the large lug on the starter solenoid. Try to start it again. If the voltage stays up, good, if it drops, then that short + cable to the battery is bad.

Move the + lead onto the other large lug connection on the solenoid that goes to the starter. Try to start it again. If the voltage drops way down, the the solenoid is bad. If it stays up, then the path all the way through the solenoid is good.

One more test. Put the + lead of the meter on the + of the battery. Move the neg lead of the meter to a good metal place on the engine block. Try to start it. If the voltage drops way down, then your neg battery cable is bad. If it stays up, then you definitely have a starter problem.

 

thanks for all the info. i'll be trying these things today and i'll report back my findings.lol.
thanks again

 

ok tried some tests but the end result ended up being a connector on the starter.the female plug was too loose.(almost sounds interesting..haha). so i just snugged it up with needle nose pliers. i also went and got a new belt. when i put it in gear the battery guage on the dash drops and it sounds like its going to stall. but when i checked the alt. it was showing 14 volts. and still have the prob of the battery draining when the truck is off. any more idea's?
thanks

 

Ok, so you got your starting problem fixed. And 14 volts means it's charging. So you think you might have a drain now? Hook up a testlight like the diagram below, and if the light burns, then you do have a drain. You can then start pulling fuses till the light goes out. If it still burns make sure the domelight is not on, and you have unhooked all added stuff like amplifiers. If the light still burns, then take all the wires off the alternator and see if the light goes out.

 

Daves right 1 problom at a time do that set up if lamp lites 1frst disconect big wire from alt. its main charge to battery easy to do at soliond. If it goes out with that u have a bad diode in alt.

 

ok so i tried the test light and the light lit. i started pulling fuses and found the one for the cargo light, int. light, door switch for the int. light, etc. went out when the fuse wasnt in. i then realized after farting around that if i slammed the driver door really hard the test light would go out. so hopefully now the battery won't die overnight. but i still have a problem of the voltage dropping when i put it in gear. and when driving the gauge on the dash still drops and comes back up. but yet it's still showing 14.22 volts when runnng with a volt meter on the battery.

 

good job charging volts are good.Does volts go below 13.5

 

when i put the truck in gear the volts drop below 13 and kinda seems like it will stall for a second and then comes back up. i turned real sharp into a parking spot and it did the same thing.

 

You may have a engine problem. The alternator is not going to put out any power if the engine speed is very slow. I see you have a fuel injected 302, and they are famous for crude getting built up around the throttle blades in the throttle body, and the idle air control motor mounted to the throttle body.

 

thanks alot guys for all the help. i'll fart around with it and if need be i'll take it to a garage.
thank you

 

so i'm still having the problem with the truck dropping voltage and losing rpms when i put it in gear. is the idle air control or idle speed control the same thing? does anyone know if this could be the prob?
thank you